PENTWATER, MICHIGAN

After a blog hiatus, we are finally getting caught up on our few and far between adventures we were lucky enough to take in 2020.

Back in August, Grace’s parents rented a beach house in Pentwater, Michigan. The six of us were grateful we could go on a vacation while staying Covid safe. Originally, we were booked to go to a dude ranch in Wyoming with the extended Kennedy family during this week, but the pandemic had other plans. We stuck to our family pod all summer with trips to the lake or back home to Indianapolis, so we were extra enthused to be able to travel somewhere other than Illinois or Indiana.

We are especially thankful we took this trip because little did we know in two months, after a weekend together in Chicago, we would come down with Covid ourselves. Fortunately, we all managed to bounce back, some quicker than others, and felt comforted to think back on the fond memories we shared at the beach in Michigan. We even surprised my parents with a photographer on the trip so we could take updated family photos and we are SO glad we did!

The house itself was PERFECT for quarantine because it was nestled up in the woods with hardly a neighbor in site. It came with many, many steps down to a private beach, but hey at least we got our steps in and that meant the views from the top were impeccable! When you are here you really understand the obsession with being on Lake Michigan. The woods, the house, the water, the smells - it is a full Lake Michigan experience.

We spent our mornings sipping coffee and tea on the porch looking out at the water. There was a hammock on the hillside of the house where you would frequently spot deer passing by.

One elememt we loved about this house was there was an easy, woodsy path to take into the town of Pentwater where there were shops, great farmers markets and delicious iced coffees.

The photo below on the left really gives you a sense of how isolated we were at this house. Occasionally, a family would be down the way or individuals would walk by, but for the most part, it was pure bliss. The photo below on the right showcases a fraction of the stairs that led you down to the beach. We always enjoyed the walk because it really was beautiful and smelled like Michigan. It made the schlepping of beach chairs, coolers & a speaker worth it.

Thanks, James!

Honestly, we did not do a whole lot. We spent our days lounging on the beach and floating in the water. The men golfed a couple of times. Before a trip, my dad always seems to find a new toy or gadget to obsess over. This trip, it was his REI beach tent. We enjoyed watching him put it up and take it down on a daily basis while some of us complained it was blocking our sun. He was very proud of it as you can tell.

We really lucked out with the weather. It rained almost the entire week before. It would be low 80s during the day and chilly at night, which is perfect Michigan weather. The beach drink of choice quickly turned into watermelon daiquiris. We all know how much James loves a daiquiri on the beach!

Due to the pandemic, we made dinner in house every night. Each couple would switch off making a special dinner that evening. Ranged from healthy enchiladas to make your own pizza night to ribs on the Green Egg. Aaron once again wow-ed us with his Tomahawk grilling skills! Nightly charcuterie boards using the cheese and fresh Michigan berries we got at the farmers market that day were a hit.

It is not a vacation without a puzzle says James…

Pentwater happens to be really close to Shelby, Michigan which is where Camp Miniwanca is located. Camp Miniwanca has been a part of our family for as long as I can remember. I remember being overly excited to go there to pick up my older sister from camp. When we would arrive Hannah acted not too pleased to see us because it meant she was leaving camp. Hannah first went to Miniwanca when she was 10 years old. Did Four Trails adventure trips from 13 to 17 then became a counselor in training at age 18. She then continued to work as a Program Coordinator for 2 more summers. She totaled 13 summers at Miniwanca. Every year my parents would say, “Well, this is our last year coming to pick Hannah up” yet she would somehow manage to be back the following summer. She was obsessed to say the least. Obsessed enough to convince me to go to camp there when she was a leader in training. I loved it, too. It is easy to fall in love with Miniwanca.

Since we were only 25 minutes away in Pentwater, Hannah asked the head of camp if we could come visit the grounds even though they were closed that summer due to Covid. Luckily Liz said, yes!

On the left is Hannah and me in closing tribal circle in 2008. On the right was us on this trip.

On the left is a photo from one of Hannah’s adventure trips called Odyssey where she biked 1,200 miles from Tuftonboro, New Hampshire to Shelby, Michigan while going through Ontario Canada. On the right is Hannah when she was a Program Coordinator for the Piper age group, 8 to 12.

The camp grounds are so unique because they have 360 wooded acres and an entire mile of protected beach front property. Miniwanca is also connected to Stony Lake where they share a boat house with the boys camp. One of Grace’s fondest camp memories is taking sailing classes with Eddy, the British counselor. It was really important for Aaron to see Miniwanca because let’s be real, their future children will be going there without a doubt.

After our Miniwanca adventure we went to our first “restaurant” since March…literally our first. We picked Cherry Point Farm Stand - fresh vegetables, a lavender labyrinth and hardly anyone there. It was just what we were craving.

That evening we were wiped so it was really nice to just sit on the deck, chill and watch the sunset. This may have been the evening a bat got in the house. Half of us were trapped outside and the other half was trapped in the living room as the bat anxiously flew around in the front sunroom. For some reason we found the whole situation hysterical, but we managed to get the little guy out eventually.

Yet another breathtaking Michigan day…

A few nights we ventured down the stairs to get a closer look at the sunset over the water. One evening we witnessed an incredible meteor shower while drinking wine, laying on our backs and feeling very grateful to just be there and be present in the moment when the world felt like it was on fire.

Lake Michigan, you are perfect. Thank you for a wonderful getaway with family.